A Fare To Remember: Just Whistle\Driven To Distraction\Taken For A Ride (20 page)

CHAPTER TWO

“H
OW DO
I
LOOK
?”

Sabina stood in the center of the shop and twirled around once. Chloe Kincaid watched her from behind the counter, a lollipop stuck in her mouth. Asking Chloe was probably not the best choice considering that the twenty-two-year-old graduate student preferred to dress like a vampire. Her lips were painted a bright red and her pink-streaked black hair stuck up in unruly shocks.

“What are you going for?” Chloe asked.

She smoothed her hands over the embroidered blue silk. “Sexy, but not too sexy. Interesting. Maybe a little aloof, but approachable. Mysterious?”

Chloe stared at her a long moment, her head tipped to the side. “I’m not sure a dress can do all that. Maybe you ought to try therapy.”

Sabina was well used to Chloe’s arid sense of humor. “Well, do I at least look pretty?”

She shrugged. “Yeah.”

Sabina’s spirits lifted. She’d designed the dress herself out of a piece of vintage silk she’d found in a store in SoHo. Body-skimming and sleeveless, with a fitted waist and skirt, the dress was Asian in influence, with a bit of Village bohemian tossed in. And the deep sapphire color was perfect. “Maybe I should wear something a bit more conservative. I have a little black cocktail dress that—”

“You are a goddess,” Chloe replied flatly, turning back to the magazine she was reading. “I do like the necklace.”

Sabina reached up, surprised to find that she still wore the love charm her grandmother had given her. She carefully tucked it beneath the mandarin collar of the dress.

“I’ve got one of those, too,” Chloe said, holding up a clay amulet nearly identical to Sabina’s. “Your grandmother gave it to me for Christmas last year, and since then my sex life has been fantastic.”

“Really?” Sabina asked. “Then you think it works?”

Chloe nodded as she blew a bubble with her gum. The bubble popped and she smiled. “Oh, yeah. Ruta knows what she’s doing. I’ve had more boys than I can handle.”

Sabina admired her grandmother’s abilities, but she had never placed much faith in the magic that Ruta practiced. Sabina had learned that telling someone’s fortune was more about reading their behaviors and attitudes, about drawing conclusions from carefully asked questions, than actually seeing into the future. As for charms, how could a simple clay disk wield any mystical power over a man?

But since she’d put the necklace on that morning, her social life had improved by leaps and bounds. She had a date with a devastatingly handsome man. “I’d settle for just one. A really good one.”

“It may not be the amulet that’s getting me the men,” Chloe said, bracing her chin on her hand. “I suppose it could be the potion.”

“Ruta gave you a potion?” Sabina groaned. “She knows she’s not supposed to give out potions. I’ve told her again and again. Someone could have an allergic reaction and die.”

“It’s all herbal,” Chloe said. “I watched her make it. It doesn’t taste great, but it works.” She grabbed her bag from beneath the counter and rummaged through it. A few seconds later, she pulled out a small brown bottle and handed it to Sabina. “You should try it. He won’t be able to resist you.”

With a quiet curse, Sabina shoved the bottle into her purse and snapped it shut. “I’m going to have to talk to her about this. If we sell potions, we have to have a license and insurance and inspections. This isn’t like the old days.”

The bell on the door rang and Sabina spun around, her stomach fluttering with nerves. She held her breath as Alec closed the door behind him, then let it out slowly when he faced her. “Good evening, Sabina,” he said with a devilish grin.

“Good evening, Alec.” Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment, then slowly drifted down his body. He wore a navy linen jacket that hugged his wide shoulders and a crisply starched blue oxford, which set off the color of his eyes. Faded jeans made him look just boyish enough to set her heart racing. Her sapphire silk had been the perfect choice.

“You look beautiful,” he said. “That color suits you.”

Sabina felt her face grow warm and she dropped her gaze. She’d hoped for aloof and mysterious, but any second now, she’d begin drooling and then he’d know exactly how she felt. She glanced over at Chloe, who was watching them both, a bemused smile curling her painted lips.

“Chloe, don’t forget to drop that mail in the mailbox on your way home,” Sabina said.

Chloe leaned forward. “Don’t worry about the dress,” she whispered. “The way that guy is looking at you, you won’t be wearing it long.”

Sabina sent her a warning glare, then pasted a smile on her face. “Don’t tell Nana I had a date. She’ll wait up until I get home and then I’ll have to tell her all about it. Just say I went to a gallery opening.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Chloe said.

When Sabina reached Alec’s side, he took her hand and wrapped it in his, then pulled the door open in front of her. “So, are we going to have a good time tonight?”

“What?”

“I just thought you might have a sense of how this is all going to go. Maybe you can give me a few pointers, warn me off before I make any big blunders. You’re the psychic.”

“Why don’t we let the evening just develop on its own,” Sabina suggested. “I’m going to switch off my powers now. No mind reading, no soothsaying.”

“All right.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Would you like to catch a cab or should we walk?”

“Where are we going?”

Alec shrugged. “We can go Uptown or we can stay in the neighborhood. Or if you like, we can stop by Balducci’s and pick up something from the deli. I make a really good sandwich. And I’m good with frozen pizza. That’s the extent of my cooking expertise.”

Though she would have loved to see Alec in the kitchen, for now, Sabina wanted to stay on neutral turf. “Why don’t we just walk until we find a place we both like?”

They strolled in silence for a few blocks, heading in the direction of SoHo. Sabina didn’t feel as if she needed to make conversation. It was enough just to be with him, to know that he wanted to be with her. “Do you live in the Village?” she asked.

“I have a house over on St. Luke’s and a place up in Vermont. Where do you live?”

“Above the shop. There are eight apartments. My grandmother has one, I have one, and we rent the rest out. She owns the building, so I get a break on the rent.”

“So you live comfortably on the income you make telling fortunes?” he asked.

“I do. We do.” She smiled.

“And where does one study to become a psychic?”

“I never studied for that. That sort of thing comes naturally. I actually studied fashion design at Parsons.”

“Really. And why didn’t you pursue it?”

“I am. I’ve been gradually making some changes at the shop, and when my grandmother retires, I hope to turn it into my own boutique. Now, tell me what you do.”

“It’s not nearly as interesting,” Alec said. “I buy and sell things—apartments, buildings mostly, sometimes just land.”

She frowned. “You sound like a real estate agent.”

“That’s part of my job,” he replied.

“My grandmother and I don’t like real estate agents,” Sabina said, the suspicion thick in her voice. “They’re always trying to get us to sell her building. You wouldn’t believe what they’ve tried. They call every day and send letter after letter. Some of them even give us gifts. They bring over these elaborate plans, photos of homes in Florida and Arizona. It’s ridiculous. And the worst of them, Simon Harnett, reports us to the building inspectors every month. Are you one of them?”

“For you, I’ll be anything you want me to be.”

“The perfect gentleman,” Sabina said. “That’s what I want you to be.”

He stopped dead on the sidewalk, dragging her to a halt. His hand came up to her face and he smoothed his palm over her cheek. “I’m not sure I can do that.”

“And why not?”

In what seemed like nothing more than a heartbeat, Alec wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled Sabina into the shadow of a doorway. His mouth came down on her hers, so quickly that it took her breath away. What began as a desperate kiss soon turned soft and gentle, and Sabina surrendered to it willingly.

His hands skimmed over her torso, smoothing across her back. Sabina’s skin tingled beneath the thin silk of her dress and she shivered in reaction. At first, she was barely able to think. But then her mind began to focus on the feel of his lips, the taste of his tongue, the wonderful way he held her face between his hands.

It wasn’t a proper kiss from a proper gentleman. This was kiss that invited further seduction, a kiss that made promises about what they might share together once they were completely alone—and naked.

The longer it lasted, the more light-headed she became. Maybe it was the heat. It was awfully warm tonight, so humid it was hard to catch her breath. When he finally drew back, Sabina gulped in fresh air, but that only seemed to make her more dizzy.

“I—I’m not feeling very well,” she murmured, pressing her palm to her forehead. “I haven’t eaten all day and I feel like I could—” Sabina’s knees suddenly gave out beneath her.

Alec caught her around the waist and held her up. “My place is just around the block. Why don’t we go there and get you something cool to drink?”

Sabina hesitated, then nodded. A drink of water. What harm could that do? Just because they were alone together didn’t mean that they were going to lose control.

He was right when he said he lived just around the block. They crossed the street and a few minutes later climbed the steps to a beautiful row house across from Walker Park. “You must sell a lot of buildings,” Sabina said, impressed by his address.

He chuckled, then held the door open. The interior was cool and dark, a relief from the heat outside. She glanced around as they walked back to the kitchen, admiring the simple yet traditional decor. “This is nice,” Sabina commented.

“The house?” Alec shrugged. “Thank the decorator. I didn’t have time to do it myself, so she did it all.”

The kitchen was sleek and modern, cherry cabinets mixed with granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances. Compared to the vintage kitchens in Sabina’s building, this was positively luxurious. Her grandmother hadn’t done much to the building since she’d acquired it beyond simple repairs. “This is nice, too. It looks like something out of
Architectural Digest.
”

He pulled out a stool tucked beneath the edge of the island, then crossed to the refrigerator. “We’ll get you a drink, then I’ll get my car and drive you home. We can go out some other time.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Sabina said.

He opened a bottle of water, then grabbed a glass from the cabinet above the sink. Alec placed both in front of her. She wanted to tell him that it wasn’t the heat, or dehydration, that had caused her knees to buckle. It was the experience of kissing him. Even now, staring into his eyes, Sabina felt off balance. She took a long sip of the water.

He reached out and captured her hand, toying with her fingers as she continued to drink. “Better?” he asked.

Sabina nodded, ignoring the tingle that skittered up her arm at his touch. She needed time to think, time to compose herself. Maybe she could hide out in the bathroom until she regained her senses. “Much.” She rubbed her forehead, feigning a headache. “I could use an aspirin, though.” A temporary headache should buy her a little more time. “I’m just going to go—”

“You could use dinner,” he interrupted. “But we’ll start with aspirin.”

He stepped over to her and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes. “I don’t think you have any idea just how beautiful you are,” he whispered, dropping a kiss on her lips. “I think you’ve bewitched me.”

One kiss wasn’t enough for him. With a low moan, he furrowed his hands through her hair and molded her mouth to his. Everything about the kiss challenged her to give more, to surrender to his taste and his touch.

With trembling fingers, Sabina skimmed her palms over his chest, brushing aside his jacket. Without breaking contact with her mouth, he pulled his arms out of the sleeves and tossed it on the floor.

The simple act of removing his jacket seemed to break some invisible barrier. Sabina reached up and nervously worked at the buttons of his shirt. His breath quickened at her touch and Alec tugged his shirttails out of his jeans, his mouth trailing kisses along her shoulder.

Sabina knew where they were headed, but she was powerless to stop it. Touching him…kissing him…needing him seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

When she’d undone the last button, Alec shrugged out of the shirt. His skin was warm to the touch, his chest smooth and finely muscled. Sabina pressed her lips to the skin at the base of his neck and breathed his scent in deeply.

He tipped his head back and she dropped lower, nuzzling his skin until she reached his nipple. Sabina suddenly felt bold, uninhibited and very powerful. But when her tongue touched his nipple, Alec drew a sharp breath and stepped back.

He smiled crookedly, then ran his thumb along her lip. “I think I’ll get you that aspirin,” he said.

As he walked out, Sabina sighed softly. What had happened? Why had he stopped so suddenly? At the rate they were going, they would have ended up in bed within the hour, a prospect that didn’t seem distasteful to Sabina.

She grabbed her purse and pulled out her mirror. “Oh, God,” she murmured, pinching her cheeks to restore some of her color. “Breathe. Everything will be fine.”

As she put the mirror back into her purse, she noticed the little brown bottle—Chloe’s love potion. Sabina pulled it out and untwisted the cap, then dumped a small measure into her glass. She wasn’t sure of the dosage, but right now, she needed any help she could get. Closing her eyes, she drank the remainder of her water.

Almost immediately, she felt an odd imbalance descend on her. Though she was perfectly calm, every nerve in her body was suddenly alive and aware. Sabina ran her hands up and down her arms, the sensation of her fingertips raising goose bumps along the way. She felt an overwhelming need to touch him again, to taste his kisses and to press her body against his. No man had ever affected her as strongly as Alec had, awakening desires that she never knew she had.